1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for monitoring and managing logistics, and especially to a system and method for managing vehicular transportation of material by employing a global positioning subsystem.
2. Background of the Invention
Managing logistics is becoming increasingly important for an enterprise to operate smoothly. Logistics is key to reducing costs and improving competitive strength. Many enterprises are now actively modernizing their logistics management to better control the flow of material and products. In particular, enterprises are seeking to track the flow of material and products in real time.
Tracking technology employing global positioning systems has already been extensively developed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,842 discloses a vehicle tracking system employing global positioning system (GPS) satellites. FIG. 9 schematically shows the infrastructure of this vehicle tracking system. A GPS reference receiver 94 receives signals provided by a plurality of GPS satellites 90 (only one shown), and generates sensor commands to be sent to a vehicle location system (VLS) workstation 95 via a communication link 96. At the same time, a sensor 91 on a vehicle 92 receives signals sent from the GPS satellites 90, and sends the signals to the VLS workstation 95 via a data link 93 and the communication link 96. By combining the signals sent respectively from the sensor 91 and the GPS reference receiver 94, the VLS workstation 95 can calculate the location of the vehicle 92.
By using recently-developed network technology, functions of the VLS workstation 95 can now be performed by a server of a communications network. A typical vehicle tracking system can now process more data than ever before, enabling more vehicles to be monitored by such system.
However, the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,842 is still relatively rudimentary. The locating technology as disclosed does not enable transportation of material to be closely controlled and corrected where necessary. In particular, there are no means for retracing an actual route traveled by a particular vehicle, and no means for alerting a central controller when a particular vehicle travels along an incorrect route. The current technology cannot ensure smooth operation and control of logistics for an enterprise.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a system and method for monitoring and managing logistics by monitoring vehicles transporting material using a global positioning subsystem.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method for monitoring and managing logistics whereby an alarm is activated if a vehicle does not travel along a predetermined route, and whereby a route traveled by a vehicle can be conveniently viewed.
In order to achieve the aforementioned objects, the present invention provides a logistics monitoring and controlling system for monitoring and controlling transportation of material using a global positioning subsystem. The logistics monitoring and controlling system comprises: a central managing device for managing information on vehicles serving for an organization, and information on material transported by the vehicles; a vehicle information inputting device for inputting the information on the vehicles to the central managing device; a material information inputting device for inputting the information on the material transported by the vehicles to the central managing device; a central monitoring device for monitoring transportation of the material by tracking movement of the vehicles; and a global positioning subsystem for providing current locations of the vehicles serving for the organization.
The present invention also provides a logistics monitoring and controlling method for monitoring transportation of material using a global positioning subsystem, the method comprising the steps of: (i) inputting information on a vehicle serving for an organization to a central managing device via a vehicle information inputting device; (ii) inputting information on material transported by the vehicle via a material information inputting device when the vehicle sets out; (iii) a monitoring platform in a central monitoring device sending a request to the global positioning subsystem for current location information on the vehicle; (iv) the global positioning subsystem obtaining the current location information on the vehicle; (v) the global positioning subsystem sending the current location information on the vehicle to the central monitoring device via a network; and (vi) the central monitoring device checking whether a current location of the vehicle is along a predetermined route of the vehicle. Further, the logistics monitoring and controlling method comprises the step of sending an alarm from the central monitoring device if the current location of the vehicle is not along the predetermined route.